Meditation for our Parents and Ancestors

Follow this guided meditation for a deep practice in honour of our parents and ancestors.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s original meditation practice is below.

Healing Relations with our Parents

Seeing myself as a five-year-old child, I breathe in. 

Smiling to the five-year-old child, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Myself, five years old.

(Breathing out) Smiling.

*

Seeing the five-year-old child as fragile and vulnerable, I breathe in. 

Smiling with love to the five-year-old in me, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) A fragile five-year-old.

(Breathing out) Smiling with love.

*

Seeing my father as a five-year-old boy, I breathe in. 

Smiling with love to my father as a five-year-old boy, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Father, five years old.

(Breathing out) Smiling with love.

*

Seeing my five-year-old father as fragile and vulnerable, I breathe in. 

Smiling with love and understanding to my father as a fragile boy, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Father, fragile and vulnerable.

(Breathing out) Smiling with love and understanding.

*

Seeing my mother as a five-year-old girl, I breathe in. 

Smiling with love to my mother as a five-year-old girl, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Mother, five years old.

(Breathing out) Smiling with love.

*

Seeing my five-year-old mother as fragile and vulnerable, I breathe in. 

Smiling with love and understanding to my mother as a fragile girl, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Mother, fragile and vulnerable.

(Breathing out) Smiling with love and understanding.

*

Seeing my father suffering as a young child, I breathe in. 

Seeing my mother suffering as a young child, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Father, suffering as a child.

(Breathing out) Mother, suffering as a child.

*

Seeing my father in me, I breathe in. 

Seeing my mother in me, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Father in me.

(Breathing out) Mother in me.

*

Understanding the difficulties of my father in me, I breathe in.

Determined to work for the release of both my father and me, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Difficulties of father in me.

(Breathing out) Releasing father in me.

*

Understanding the difficulties of my mother in me, I breathe in.

Determined to work for the release of both my mother and me, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Difficulties of mother in me.

(Breathing out) Releasing mother in me.

*

Understanding the suffering of my ancestors in me, I breathe in.

Determined to heal the suffering of my ancestors in me, I breathe out.

(Breathing in) Ancestral suffering in me.

(Breathing out) Releasing the suffering in me.

*